The term and methods of pinching grapes
Grape picking is a necessary procedure when growing a horticultural crop, which ensures an increase in yields.
The term and methods of pinching grapes
Why is it needed
Grape picking involves cutting off young grape shoots in whole or in part. The procedure is necessary in order to direct the main forces not to the growth of newly emerging shoots, but to the development of an existing vine and the laying of grape clusters.
The place where stepchildren appear in grapes is the buds in the leaf axils.
Such an event is required for young plants that begin to grow actively after the growing season in order to ensure their harmonious development and improve growth. It is also used in relation to adult vineyards to ensure timely ripening of the harvest.
Stepsons have a positive effect on the plant, including:
- due to the rapid processing of carbon dioxide by young shoots, together with solar energy, active growth of young greenery occurs,
- there is an acceleration of photosynthesis, which has a positive effect on improving the quality of nutrient intake and leading to an increase in green mass, stepchildren are able to accelerate the process of nutrient formation by 30%,
- lateral branches later overgrow with foliage, which acts as a substitute for withered leaves, the new green mass continues to produce food after the old main leaf dies off.
The presence of stepchildren also has a number of negative consequences:
- abundantly growing young shoots take on some of the nutrition and slow down the ripening of the bunch,
- the abundance of green mass interferes with the flow of a sufficient amount of light, creating an excessive shade, which as a result disrupts the process of photosynthesis and interferes with the ripening of berries,
- as a result of the active growth of stepchildren and a set of green mass, the grape bushes thicken, the quality of their care deteriorates, which leads to the appearance of fungal and infectious diseases.
For these reasons, most winegrowers tend to favor pinching the grapes.
Dates of the
The first pinching of the stepchildren that appear on the vine is planned in the spring, 30 days after the start of the growing season. This is the time of the appearance of 3-6 leaves in the plant on the branches of the second order, blossoming on the lateral process.
Shoots pinch as they grow
The subsequent procedures are repeated as the stepsons grow, no more than once a week.
The total number of shoot pruning reaches 10 times per season.
For young plants, the removal of stepchildren to form a strong skeletal part is carried out in the summer. In this case, the procedure for pinching grapes can be combined with chasing and garter.
Rules of conduct
In the process of pinching, shoots above 10 knots are broken off, doing this before the beginning of the flowering period, after which the plant slows down development and increases the number of ovaries. In this case, 2 lower leaves are left, the top is cut off, removing 2-3 cm each and the growth point (shoot crown), keeping 3 leaves each: 2 new and 1 main.
Correctly carried out pinching increases the yield by 25%.
The second order of stepchildren is removed completely. Around the inflorescences, in the area of bunches, it is necessary to pinch each stepchild, which ensures the quality of pollination and laying the ovary.
The ways
The procedure can be performed in one of the available ways, depending on the stage of the growing season.
- At the initial stage of the appearance of stepchildren, the herbaceous sprout is thin and lends itself to simple pinching or breaking out by hand without the use of scissors and secateurs. This is done by pinching the fingers. This method of pinching is considered the simplest and most common among beginners, but not the most effective, since when removed by breaking it is possible to damage the fruiting bud of reproduction, from which a new process immediately begins to grow, taking strength from the main one.
- The second method is to trim the top of the stepson with a specially designed tool, leaving 1 sheet. The remaining pruned shoot will not interfere with full growth, but will stop the development of the bud.
- The third method is to trim the top of the stepson, leaving 4 leaves needed to provide nutrition. Subsequently, on the processes of the second order, all emerging leaves are removed to the optimal amount, cutting off the tops.
Conclusion
Grape picking is a necessary procedure for removing stepchildren on grapes, which helps to reduce the growth of lateral branches and improves the process of feeding the vine.
There are a number of rules on how to pinch grapes, under which the yield of a garden crop increases, and the shortcomings are smoothed out.